She's Okay
by Reyna15
Summary: My take on Season 2 Episode 10: Jess locks herself in her closet in an attempt to help out Winston and prove she's claustrophobic, but when the door ends up getting stuck- everyone panics. Winston runs to get help, but is leaving Jess really the best idea? Slight AU, purely a friendship fiction, although romance could be interpreted. Rated K for minor language, and heavier themes.
1. Chapter 1

**Wow. It's been...a long time since I've written anything, much less posted anything. For those of my 'followers' who will read this, I do still intend to finish Bad Intentions. I've just been having a really rough time lately, and while that's not an excuse, it has prevented me from writing. I appreciate those of you who've stuck around, and I hope to be more active now that I'm in a somewhat better place. This story is for New Girl, a show I've recently been getting into. It's just a one-shot for now, but I may continue on it later.**

 **Thank you to all who read and review, I really enjoy seeing the read number go up. It makes me happy to know people are reading the things I write, and I hope you enjoy it- that's why I write. It's a good escape sure, but I enjoy filling others' needs too.**

 **As always-  
**

 _ **Keep Writing!**_

 _ **-**_ **Reyna  
**

* * *

 **She's Okay  
**

Winston frowned, unsure of what to think.

"You're not serious," He hesitated. Jess sighed.

"Of course I'm serious, I'm really claustrophobic," Jess huffed. "You're not alone Winston, everyone reacts differently to different things."

Winston rolled his eyes.

"You're just trying to make me feel better," He accused. Jess jerked back a little, and Winston almost apologized for the hurt he saw in her eyes.

"Of course I'm trying to make you feel better," Jess muttered. "But I really am claustrophobic." She glanced at the ground, a little less peppy than previously. Winston took a step forward to apologize to the girl, when her eyes met his.

"I'll prove it to you!" She exclaimed, obviously thrilled to have thought of an idea.

"What do you mean?" Winston questioned, unsure as to what she was hinting at.

"Here," Jess started, walking into her closet.

"You seem fine to me," Winston grumbled. Jess sighed.

"Of course I do, the door's open!" She laughed. "I'll close the door though and when I do, it'll feel like I'm dying. When I ask you to open it though, please do okay?" She insisted. Winston nodded, and watched as she closed the door.

He stood right outside waiting for it to shut all the way. However, as soon as it clicked shut, Winston could hear Jess' breathing hitch.

"Ohhh boy it's really tight in here…" She rasped.

"Are you okay?" He asked. Winston was starting to worry a little bit.

"I-I'm fine, but can you…can you please open the door?" She whimpered. He could hear the fear in her voice, and knew it to be genuine.

"Sure thing," He pressed against the wooden door, but his heart froze when he realized it had gotten stuck.

"Winston…please…" Jess begged, ready to be released from her prison.

"Jess…Jess the door is stuck," Winston huffed, panic laced in his voice. When Jess didn't respond, the panic only increased.

"Jess?"

"Oh my god…" She finally rasped, the reality of the situation finally having sunk in.

"Jess it will be okay, just hang in there." Winston assured the freaked out girl.

"Okay." Her voice was drained of the normal confidence it had.

"I'm going to go get Nick and Schmitt, I'll be right back," Winston mentioned, already out the door.

"Wait! Don't leave me!" Jess cried, but he was gone.

Jess sunk to the ground, and pulled her knees to her chest. The walls were pushing against her, and she could barely breathe. Silent tears formed in her eyes, despite Jess' attempt to cease any chance of crying. She wanted Winston to be back, she needed to hear someone's voice and know that they were right beside her, even if a door separated them. Panic ate at the back of her mind, and she wondered if Winston would return.

 _He hadn't believed me at first…_ She pondered. _Is there a chance that he still thinks you're just trying to make him feel better? Does he really think you're claustrophobic?_

Jess gasped for air, her heart pounding with every questioning thought. _What if he never comes back?_ Gulping in as much air as her tense lungs could manage, Jess pulled her legs even closer, until it was almost uncomfortable.

The silent dam broke easily, and tears flowed freely down her face. Her mascara ran down in piercing black lines, as she buried her head in her hands. Jess' body shook with each sob that was forced to be quieted, and with the paralyzing fear that they wouldn't return. It had been so long since she'd had an episode like this, but somehow all the efforts she had made to get better had shattered as soon as that damn door shut.

Footsteps pounded through the hallway, and Jess dared to lift her head from her palms so she could hear.

"Jess?" Nick's worried voice echoed through the room.

"N-nick…" Jess sniffed, her heart crying with relief. They had come back for her.

"Jess we're right here for you, are you alright?" He asked. She could hear his breathing, and knew he was almost as scared as she was.

"I-I'm fine," Jess whispered, her voice betraying her.

"We'll get you out of there, I promise," He huffed, determined. Jess nodded, but didn't reply. Her quickened breathing was already limiting her air intake, but talking was much worse.

"Schmitt, help me push against this side. Winston, go pull on the other side," Nick commanded, taking charge of the situation.

"Jess you're going to be just fine," Schmitt claimed. "We're here to help."

Jess smiled a little at the mention, but remained silent. The three men assumed their position, until soon all three of them were grunting and struggling. However, no matter what they did, the door wouldn't budge.

"Shit guys, what do we do?" Nick rasped. He was trying to be quiet so Jess didn't hear their uncertainties, but the door wasn't thick enough to prevent it.

"We could go to the landlord," Winston muttered.

"Oh he's no help," Schmitt rolled his eyes. "We need some professional equipment."

"We don't have time to be buying fancy tools, Jess shouldn't have to be in there any longer." Nick sighed, glancing at the door. "We need the landlord."

Schmitt huffed in frustration, but nodded.

"Whatever will help her."

Nick glanced at the green tinted door. His heart ached for Jess, hoping that she was going to be alright after this whole thing blew over.

"Jess, are you doing okay?" He asked. Jess hummed a response, not willing to open her mouth.

"Jess, we're going to go to the landlord for some help, we'll be right back okay?" Winston explained.

Jess couldn't have stopped the small whimper that escaped her throat if she tried, she couldn't stand being left alone in the cramped closet.

"Jess, you just need to take deep breaths, we'll be back before you know it," Schmitt reminded her.

"Don't leave me…" Jess cried, but her voice was so small the three men couldn't hear it.

"We'll be back soon, hang tight Jess."

Schmitt's voice did little to relieve her, and as soon as they had left the room, her body resumed its frantic shaking. Sweat lined her forehead, and her cheeks were flushed. Jess glanced around, her mind attempting to search out any possible escape route. When it proved to be impossible, her mind grew blank.

 _I am going to die in this closet._

Jess whimpered, and allowed herself to curl into a ball on the floor. The tiny space seemed to be spinning and compressing, only adding to her fear. Sweat was now evident on her clothes, and she panted with every breath she took. The closet seemed to be burning, heat accumulating in the small area.

Jess glanced over at the door, her eyesight starting to get fuzzy. They should have been here by now, it had been ten minutes. Jess gripped the carpet with impressive strength, trying to regain composure to try and get the door open. However, her body refused to move, and her arms and legs ached from shaking for so long. Black spots waltzed in her eyes, and Jess could feel her breathing increase with every minute. It was getting harder and harder to take full breaths, she was breathing as if she had just run a marathon.

After an eternity, Jess could hear the strained voices of her roommates, as well as the slightly disturbing drawl of the landlord. Her body relaxed a little at the sound of the room's door opening, and Jess allowed herself to close her eyes, knowing she would be saved. Her lungs burned from the trickled of air her body was allowing her to intake, and before she knew it, Jess' consciousness faded away.

"Jess, we're back," Winston huffed.

"Jess are you okay?" Nick called out, waiting patiently for the quieted answer he was expecting. However, Jess didn't respond.

"Jess?" Nick's voice was starting to rise, as his worries increased.

"Jess?!" Schmitt joined in, equally as worried as himself.

"Oh my god, get her out of there now," Winston ushered the landlord to the door.

"Alright- alright," He huffed. "Just give me a few minutes."

Nick nodded, and tapped his foot impatiently. Every once in a while, one of them would call out her name with the hopes that she would answer, but each unanswered call only increased the tension in the room. After about ten minutes, Nick was getting frustrated.

"Will you be done anytime soon?" He snapped.

The landlord glared at him slightly.

"I will, just give me a few more minutes. This thing is really jammed."

Nick nodded, but his heart rate didn't cease its running. He glanced over at the others, and wondered when Cece had shown up. She was sitting next to Winston, her fingers tapping invisible buttons on her legs. Her face was paler than usual.

"Why won't she respond?" Schmitt cried. "Doesn't she know we're out here freaking out?"

Cece sighed. "She probably passed out," she muttered. "It's happened before. It's rare, but a possibility."

Suddenly the landlord laughed in glee, drawing the attention of the four awaiting roommates and friends.

"I guess this was easier than I thought," He chuckled, twisting a few things here and there. With a sigh, he hopped down from his step stool and walked over to the men.

"Your door should be good," He smiled. "Now how do you guys feel about a-"

"You're disgusting," Winston muttered, shaking his head and leading the perverted man out the door.

Cece launched forward, a panther pouncing on its prey. Her hands gripped the heavy wooden door, and she tore it open. Jess was curled up against the wall of the closet, her raven colored hair sprawled across the carpet.

"Jess?" Cece approached her, kneeling down to place a hand on the smaller girl's shoulders. "Oh Jess…"

Nick was soon behind Cece, watching as she scooped up the petite woman.

"Get me some water will you?" Cece asked him. Nick nodded, and his feet couldn't move fast enough as he ran towards the kitchen.

"Winston, Schmitt, go throw some of your towels in the shower. I want them cold," She demanded. They willingly obeyed her without question, despite the face Schmitt made at the thought of having to share a towel.

Cece laid Jess on her bed, sitting down next to her. Tanned fingers gently smoothed away the matted hair from Jess' face. Nick returned within a minute, and was handing Cece the glass of water.

"Thanks," Cece muttered, placing it on the table beside the bed.

"Will she be okay?" He asked. The Indian woman nodded.

"Yes, but I think it'd be best if you waited on the couch. It'll freak her out if she wakes up crowded by a bunch of people," She explained. Nick nodded, hesitant to leave, but understood what she meant. He walked past Winston and Schmitt as they jogged back into the room, handing Cece the damp towels. They asked the same question as Nick, and Cece responded in the same manner. Soon, the two girls were alone in the room, one gently draping the dampened fabric over the other.

Jess' eyelids fluttered for a moment, before her cloudy blue eyes met Cece's.

"Welcome back," Cece whispered, relieved to see the younger girl was doing alright at the moment.

"How long was I out?" She rasped.

"Twenty minutes we think," The model explained. "Here." She handed Jess the cup of water, and made sure she drank the whole thing before taking it back from her. She helped Jess sit up, and brought her into a warm embrace.

"Are you doing okay?" She asked.

Jess hummed, still scared to speak much more.

"You didn't have to prove to Winston that you were claustrophobic. You should have just had him call me," Cece scolded lightly. Jess nodded, her eyelids getting heavier with each passing second. Cece sighed, and moved the girl until Jess' head was resting on her lap.

"Just rest for a bit," She whispered, but Jess was already fast asleep, exhausted from the trauma she had experienced. Cece frowned, running her fingers through the small female's hair. It had been a long time since Jess had had an episode like that, to where she passed out from it. It worried Cece, making her wonder if there was anything else bothering Jess, to allow her to freak out so easily.

"Is she okay?" Nick had popped his head in, worry still flooding his eyes.

"She's fine," Cece replied. "She's just worn out. Give her a while, and when she wakes up she'll want to talk to you guys."

Nick nodded, but didn't leave the room.

"What do you want Miller?" Cece chuckled.

"I just…we've known her for so long, how did we not know about this?" He asked. "How do you know so much about what to do?"

Cece sighed.

"It hasn't been a big problem lately," She admitted. "In fact, Jess hasn't had this bad of a scare in a while. I think, I think the door getting stuck really freaked her out."

"I guess that makes sense. Did it use to be worse?" He asked. Cece nodded.

"It did. It wasn't terrible, she didn't pass out all the time or anything. But it wasn't something she could just get over." Cece explained.

"What caused it?" The bartender dared ask. Cece shrugged.

"I don't think anything did. Some people are just born with these kinds of fears."

Nick nodded, and sat down next to Cece on the bed. The Indian glanced at him strangely, before returning her focus to Jess.

"She'll be okay," Cece muttered. "She just made a stupid decision, that ended badly."

"Why did she willingly lock herself in there?" Nick though aloud. "She didn't know the door would get stuck, but that doesn't mean she should have in the first place."

"I think she wanted to prove to herself she could do it," Cece whispered. "She's wanted so badly to get over this fear, I think she assumed that because she hadn't had an episode, she'd be fine. She wanted to think that."

"I'm just glad she's okay," he mumbled.

Cece chuckled. Her eyes rested upon the sleeping girl's face, and relief flooded her heart. She felt awful for the suffering Jess had to endure, but she was relieved the situation wasn't worse.

"Me too Miller, me too."


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, I caved. I was just enjoying writing this too much to just let it end. I may include a few other chapters too, but it won't be very long. I just thought the episode didn't go into depth with what had happened. For most people, getting stuck in a closet whilst being claustrophobic would be traumatic. So I'm just elaborating on what I would have maybe liked to see, the darker less humorous side to it, while still being warm and including bonding moments. I'll mark this as incomplete for now, I'll probably have just one other chapter after this the way things are going.  
**

 **Thank you for reading, and to those of you who have reviewed, thank you as well! I'm honoured to have joined the New Girl community, and I can't wait to write more for this fandom. I have lots of ideas.**

 _ **Keep Writing!**_

 **-Reyna**

* * *

Jess woke up several hours later. Nick was in his room, trying to pass the time, but Winston and Schmitt had gone to bed.

"How are you feeling?" Cece whispered to the raven haired girl.

"Okay," Jess muttered. "How long have you been up?"

"It doesn't matter," Cece smiled, running her fingers through Jess' hair. Jess yawned and sat up, so that Cece could move her legs again.

"You should have gotten some sleep!" Jess exclaimed, worried about her friend.

"Jess, I'm fine." Cece jumped a little. She hadn't expected Jess to be so adamant.

"Cece.."

"Jess, really, I'm fine," Cece laughed. "I'm used to not getting a lot of sleep. Besides, I had more important things to take care of." She smiled at Jess, overjoyed to see the young girl acting more like herself.

"I'm sorry…" Jess trailed off, appearing to be fixated on the bed sheet's patterns. "I didn't mean to worry you, or make you lose sleep over me," She sniffed.

"Jess…" Cece pulled her into a hug. "You shouldn't have tried to prove that to Winston, no," she started. "But you don't have to apologize. You can't help it."

"I thought I could," Jess muttered. Cece glanced at the disheveled girl, sorrow coating her bright eyes. "I thought I had gotten better…"

Cece laughed lightly, causing Jess to look up at her. Confusion written across her face.

"Jess, this isn't a problem you can fix." Cece explained. "But that doesn't mean you haven't gotten better! How long has it been since your last episode?" She asked. "You've been a lot better, better enough that Nick and the guys didn't really think you had anything wrong with you besides your random bursts of singing."

Jess chuckled, and Cece was delighted to have cheered up the woman.

"I guess you're right," She rasped.

Cece grinned, "Do you want anything to eat?" She asked.

"I guess so…" Jess glanced at the clock. "But it's so late, you need some sleep."

"Jess I'll be fine, let's go get you some food," Cece sighed, sliding off the bed. Jess followed her, swaying a little bit at the contact with the ground.

"You okay?" Cece asked, worry hinted at through her tone.

"I'll be fine," Jess nodded. However, that didn't stop Cece from gripping the girl tightly as they made their way to the kitchen.

"How do pancakes sound?" Cece questioned, pulling out some of the supplies.

"Perfect, thank you."

Cece grinned, and started turning on the mixer when Schmitt's door burst open.

"Cecilia, put that mixer down," He snapped, grabbing it from her hands before she had the chance to do anything. "If you're not going to use the tools properly, then you don't get to use them at all. Let me do it," He insisted.

"I was doing just fine-"

"That's bullshit, I know how you cook Cece. You make a mess, and the next thing you know I have to clean up burnt pancake from the top of the stove." Schmitt rolled his eyes. "I'm sure Jess would rather have delicious, golden pancakes than blackened ones." He sneered, not intending to be rude. Schmitt was controlling over the kitchen sure, but he also really wanted to do something to help out his roommate. He felt awful that he hadn't been able to do more, and wanted to make it up to her.

"Fine, you make the pancakes," Cece relented. She glanced at Schmitt when Jess wasn't looking, and watched as he silently mouthed _thank you._ She smiled, knowing how pure his intentions were this time. Cece was relieved to see Jess had such good people looking out for her, even if they were a bit cocky sometimes.

"Is there anything else you need Jess?" Cece questioned, noting how silent the brunette had become.

"I think I'm going to go shower," she mumbled. Cece nodded, still unsure as to why she was being so timid. Jess stood up from her seat at the bar, and started to walk back to the bathroom. Cece got up to follow her, but Jess shied away from her contact.

"I can go myself, but thanks," She whispered. Cece scrunched her eyebrows as she watched Jess stumble towards the bathroom. Once she had shut the door, Cece allowed herself to sit at the counter and groan.

"What's wrong Cece?" Schmitt questioned, mixing the homemade batter together.

"I'm worried," Cece muttered. "Jess has struggled through this before, but she's acting different than normal. Normally she enjoys seeing me try to help her, it makes her feel like she's not alone. But for whatever reason, she keeps jumping at my contact, and refusing any help I offer," Cece ranted.

Schmitt nodded, appearing to be lost in thought.

"I'm sure she's just embarrassed. If it's been a while like you said, maybe she just doesn't know how to treat the situation. I'd just give her some space so she can figure it out," He shrugged.

Cece grinned at him. "You know, for being so ridiculous, you can offer some good advice every once in a while," She chuckled.

Schmitt rolled his eyes.

"Of course I can, I am the master of all things women," He smirked. Cece grumbled to herself, pointing at the small glass jar resting on one of the tables. Sighing, Schmitt placed a few dollars into the container, before resuming cooking.

Jess grimaced as she turned the water all the way on hot. She wanted the liquid to heat up as soon as possible, so she could return to Cece and Schmitt for an early morning breakfast. If 2:30 was considered morning. Once steam started to accumulate, Jess slipped off her clothes and started to step in. She would turn the water down once it started getting too hot, but for now she just wanted to be clean.

Jess sighed as she stepped into the warm water. Her body felt sticky, and filthy from all the dried sweat, and she was more than ready to wash it all off. Running her fingers through her hair, she waltzed into the stall.

Immediately her breathing hitched, and Jess' eyes widened. It hadn't bothered her before, but the small area of the shower was terrifying. Her knees wobbled, and before she fell and hit the hard tile, she sunk to the ground. Pulling her knees to her chest, Jess tightly closed her eyes. The warm water slowly turned hot, but Jess was too absorbed in her own fears to notice. The small walls of the shower stall seemed to press against her, limiting her movements.

Jess' body shook with every breath she took, tears blending in with the hot water. Her shoulders and back started to turn red from the constant slap of the burning water, but she didn't mind. She hadn't started sobbing yet, and was trying desperately to get her breathing back under control.

Back in the kitchen, Cece glanced at her clock. Jess had been in the shower for over fifteen minutes, and while the girl was known for long showers, she knew Jess was wanting to eat.

"I'm going to go check on Jess," Cece announced, not like it mattered. Schmitt was in his own world. He just nodded, and continued following his recipe.

Cece strode towards the bathroom, and was alarmed to see steam leaking out the bottom. Opening the door, she glanced around. Steam covered the mirrors, and the walls were starting to get moist from the heavy amount of water vapor.

"Jess?" She questioned, approaching the stall. "Are you decent?"

It didn't matter to her that much if she wasn't, they were best of friends. But that didn't mean Jess wanted her to see that, especially with how she'd been acting.

Cece pulled open the shower curtains, and quickly reached to turn off the water. Jess was huddled on the floor, her shoulders and back a bright red from the near boiling liquid. Her whole body shook, and Cece could see she was struggling to regain a normal breathing rate. Grabbing a towel from the rack, Cece ran it under cold water. Once it was soaked, she draped it over the timid girl.

Jess hadn't even noticed Cece come in, her eyes scrunched as tight as possible. However, she felt the cool cloth, and knew somehow it was Cece's doing.

"Hey…hey, you're okay," Cece cooed, sitting next to Jess. She didn't mind if she got her pants wet, she needed to be here for her.

"I…I don't know…what.." Jess could barely manage a full sentence, but Cece knew what she was attempting.

"It's okay," She whispered, pulling the smaller girl against her. "This is a pretty small shower."

Jess shook, and closed her eyes, trying to slow her breathing.

"Just breathe with me," Cece muttered, taking overly exaggerated breaths. Jess nodded, and within a minute, her rate had slowed.

"I don't know what happened…" Jess trailed off, leaning into the model.

"It's okay. It's been a while since you've faced a serious episode, your body is just not used to it." Cece attempted to explain the best she could. "Your mind is just on overdrive, and so while the shower didn't bother you before, your hyped up brain is bothered now."

Jess hummed, agreeing to Cece's statement.

"I'm sorry…" She mumbled after a while. "I didn't mean to worry you, I'm sorry your pants are probably wet."

Cece chuckled. "I don't mind, I have plenty of other clothes. Besides, it's not your fault. Don't apologize. I'm just sorry I didn't get here sooner."

Jess shrugged. "How would you have known?" She stated.

"Are you okay Jess?" Cece questioned. "I'm worried about you. It's not like you to be so distant, and not share your feelings," she pointed out.

"I'm okay…" Jess nodded, but Cece knew she struggled to say it. She wasn't doing so great, but for some reason, she was refusing to admit it.

"Okay," Cece relented, not wanting to argue with her. "Do you want to put some clean clothes on so we can eat?" She asked.

Jess nodded, and Cece helped her stand. Her legs were still a bit wobbly from her event, but once she was up she was fine. Cece grabbed an old t-shirt from Jess' closet and handed it to her as the girl finished drying off. The model frowned at the red blots on Jess' back, wondering how Jess could have been oblivious to them earlier.

Jess winced as she slid the shirt on, a searing pain spreading through her shoulders.

"Jess, do you want me to get something for that?" Cece placed a hand on her shoulder gently, as to not irritate the slight burns.

"I'm okay," Jess grimaced. Her face gave away all pain she was feeling, but Cece didn't argue, and the two of them waltzed out into the kitchen.

"Finally!" Schmitt exclaimed. A big smile coated his face, as he set out two plates of gorgeous pancakes.

"Thank you Schmitt," Cece nodded to him. He glanced at her, confused, before he looked down at Jess. She muttered a thanks to him as well, but it was inaudible.

"Hey Jess, I'm going to go talk to Schmitt and Nick for a second, will you be okay out here?" Cece questioned.

"Of course," Jess mumbled, already fitting pancake into her mouth. Cece nodded, and lead Schmitt back to Nick's room. He glanced up at the door being opened, and panic flew through his face as he saw Cece's expression.

"What's wrong?" He demanded, getting off his bed. However, Cece urged him to sit, and Schmitt sat next to him.

"Okay. I'm not sure what Jess is going through right now, and I know you aren't either. Only she knows what's happening, however, I need the both of you to promise to watch her okay?" Cece insisted.

"Of course, why? What happened?" Nick asked.

"Nothing, she just freaked out a little," Cece muttered.

"Is she okay?" Nick fought the urge to get up and check for himself.

"She's fine, she's eating right now. She just is having a hard time returning to her normal schedule, her brain is almost on hyper-sensitive mode," Cece explained.

"The shower…" Schmitt trailed off, coming to a realization. Nick's eyes widened, and he glanced up at Cece.

"It is kind of tight in there isn't it?" He mumbled more to himself than anything.

"She'll be fine," Cece huffed. "I just need you two to be more sensitive than normal. Promise me you'll look out for her, without treating her any different? She's already turning down my help, so I doubt she'll want much of yours."

"I promise," Nick relented easily, willing to do what he could to help the girl.

"Me too, of course," Schmitt nodded furiously.

"Good. I'm going to put on some dry pants, but why don't the two join her while I'm changing," Cece suggested. Nick nodded, and was out the door as soon as Cece left. He approached the kitchen, and was relieved to see Jess eating away like any other normal morning. If you considered 3:15 morning, it was still dark out.

"Save some for me," He chuckled, loading up a plate with some of the extras. Schmitt hadn't made many this time, really only enough for Cece and Jess.

Jess smiled, and Nick felt his heart soar at the sight. He was helping a little.

"Is there anything you want to do today?" He asked. "It's a Saturday, so you don't have to worry about work."

Jess shrugged. "I don't know, I kind of just want to hang out and watch movies."

Nick grinned. "That sounds awesome," he replied. "Would you be down for a game of True American?" He asked. "I know Winston and I were thinking about playing."

"Maybe," Jess muttered. She wasn't sure she was wanting to embark down that struggle. "I was thinking about going for a walk around the park."

"That's fun," Nick grinned. "Could I come with you?"

Jess glanced at him like he was crazy, but nodded. "If you want."

Nick turned as Schmitt walked by, followed by Cece. Her clothes had completely changed.

"Are these things any good?" She questioned, glancing at her plate of pancakes. Nick could almost feel Schmitt's eyeroll from across the room.

"Yeah, they're great," Jess mumbled. Nick frowned, normally she was so much peppier. He wondered what had made her so quiet.

"Jess was saying about how she wanted to watch movies today," Nick told Cece, hinting that it was something they should do together- something Nick would not enjoy.

"That'd be awesome," Cece grinned. "Do you want to start?"

Jess nodded, and set her plate by the sink as she stood up. Cece watched as she made her way to the couch, and waved the guys off. It was time for some girl on girl movie marathoning.

The two of them sat on the couch, Cece clicking on the first movie from Jess' to watch list.

"Ready?" She asked, glancing at Jess. The girl had remained mostly silent throughout the morning, and Cece was beyond worried. However, when an eager smile graced Jess' face, Cece's worries melted away.

"Let's do this Cece," she grinned. "I'm ready."


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, this is the last part to this short story. I definitely enjoyed it, I just needed something short to get back into the swing of things, and this was the perfect choice for that. Thank you to everyone who's read, or reviewed. I love seeing that, and I hope you guys enjoy the angsty yet friendly tone this story has going for it. After this, I'll be returning to my somewhat abandoned PLL fanfic, but once that is finished I will be posting more into the New Girl community. There's just too many opportunities not to.**

 **Thank you again to everyone who's read, and I am honoured to have made a little splash in the New Girl community.**

 _ **Keep Writing!**_

 _ **-**_ **Reyna**

* * *

Jess fell asleep halfway through their third movie, and Cece didn't blame her. She'd suffered two panic attacks within little hours of each other. Winston checked on the two of them once or twice during the first movie, but hadn't come back seeing as everything was fine. Cece sighed, glancing over at Jess' sleeping form. She seemed so peaceful, and for a moment, Cece could relax knowing she was in bliss. However, it was short lived, and reality soon came crashing in.

Jess had remained silent throughout the movies. She had seemed eager to watch them, which delighted the model, but Cece soon realized how dull Jess seemed. During her previous encounters with her fear, several years ago, she was never so reserved afterwards. If anything, she was more clingy.

"You should get some sleep Cece," Jess muttered, scaring the Indian girl. She had been so lost in thought, she didn't notice the other girl wake up.

"You need it more than I do," Cece pointed out.

"How long have I slept for?" Jess questioned, pulling herself up into a sitting position on the couch, wincing as her burns rubbed against her shirt.

"About five hours," Cece muttered, looking at her phone. It was 8:30.

"How long did you sleep for?"

Cece smiled somewhat nervously. "Three," She lied, hoping the sleepy female would dismiss it.

"Liar," Jess scowled.

Cece sighed, "It's okay Jess, I'll be fine." Cece grinned at the raven-haired girl in an attempt to reassure her, but apparently her efforts failed.

"Do you have work today?" Jess asked. Sometimes Cece worked on Saturdays, or being a model was almost unpredictable.

"I called in sick today," Cece explained. Jess' face fell even more, and she looked away.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Cece pondered, attempting to get the teacher to open up.

"Nothing," Jess bit her lip, appearing to be lost in thought. Cece huffed, but let the subject slide. She had all day to pry open the safe of Jess' mind.

"Are you going on your walk today, or do you want to continue watching movies?" Cece spoke after a while, curious as to Jess' intents.

"I think I'm going to go on a walk," She muttered. Cece nodded, and watched as Jess walked back to her room to change. Worry tore at her heart, Jess was acting so uncharacteristic of herself, and it was killing Cece. She wanted to know what was wrong, and why Jess was refusing to open up to her best friend. It was unlike her, and only increased the tension in the small apartment.

"Where's Jess?" Nick questioned, sliding into the kitchen to grab something to eat before he returned to his room.

"She went to go get changed to go on a walk," Cece muttered.

"Shit, I told her I wanted to go on that," Nick grumbled. He didn't love the idea of walking for fun, but he wanted to spend time with Jess, and make sure she was doing all right.

"Good luck then," Cece huffed. Nick frowned at her, she seemed frustrated. Waltzing over to the couch, he sat down next to the taller female.

"What's gotten into you?" He chuckled. Cece sighed, tossing her head into her hands.

"Jess is acting so strange," Cece muttered. "She's being so quiet, and timid. I understand her not being as cheerful as she usually is, but she's refusing to open up to me about her feelings. Jess always opens up to me, no matter the situation. Even before, when she used to be really claustrophobic, it didn't affect her relationship with me. If anything, it brought us closer. But now, it's tearing us apart," Cece cried, somewhat relieved to finally have that off her chest.

"Why don't you just ask her?" Nick shrugged. Cece stared at him, her eyes wide and confused.

"This is Jess, don't you think she'll find it strange?" She asked. Nick shrugged once more, and glanced over at the door to Jess' room.

"Probably, but you said so yourself-she's not acting like her. Maybe it'll be different. You won't know unless you ask, might as well before she leaves on this dreadful exercise." Nick groaned. Cece chuckled, but she was also encouraged.

"Maybe you're right," She smiled. "I'll go ask her."

Cece stood up and walked over to Jess' room, disappearing behind the heavy door. Nick let out a deep breath, and flipped on the television. Maybe if she and Jess talked a while, he wouldn't have to get up and go walking with Jess.

"Jess?" Cece called, slipping into the room. Jess was sitting on the floor behind her bed, obviously upset about something. However, once Cece sat down next to her, she started wiping away her tears, attempting to cover it all up.

"What's wrong?" Cece attempted, placing an arm around the other female.

"Nothing," Jess mumbled.

"Jessica, it is not nothing," Cece nearly snapped. Jess looked up at her, eyes widened. She wasn't expecting such a harsh tone from the Indian.

"Jess, I don't know if it's something I've done, but I'm worried about you. You aren't talking to me like you usually are. Why are you keeping your feelings from me, you know I'm always here for you!" Cece cried. "I don't understand, is something else wrong?"

Jess turned to look at the ground, small tear drops coating the already wet carpet.

"I'm so sorry…" She sniffed. Cece's eyebrows scrunched together for probably the fifth time that day.

"Jess, what are you apologizing for?" She wondered.

"I'm sorry I haven't been opening up to you," She rasped. "I just felt so awful for causing you so much trouble. I hate that I'm still not strong enough to battle this, and I'm so sorry I've dragged you into this mess along with me. I didn't mean to, I've consumed so much of your time. You haven't slept in goodness knows how long.." Jess trailed off. "I just…I'm embarrassed," She admitted. "I thought I could handle this on my own. I wasn't trying to block you out, I was trying not to rely so much on you."

Cece felt her heart melt in the flames of sympathy. "Jess, you know you could never cause me trouble, not when it involves this. This isn't something you can control. You may not be strong enough to completely overcome this fear, but that doesn't mean you're not strong," Cece smiled. "You're one of the strongest people I know, that's why you haven't had any problems until now."

Jess turned so her eyes rested on Cece's. Her face was red from crying, but her eyes were brightening up again.

"Besides, this isn't the kind of problem you can face on your own, no matter how much you want to. You were given friends for a reason, I'm here to help you when you can't help yourself. It's what I live for Jess, I always feel like I need you more than you need me, the way my life works. I _love_ when I'm able to help you, it makes me feel needed," Cece continued. "You're not consuming my time, I'm giving it to you. I enjoy spending time with you, no matter what happens. So what if I haven't slept in a while, my work schedule is so hectic, I rarely sleep anyways. I'd rather spend my night awake with you, than awake at a photo-shoot anyways," Cece chuckled.

Jess nodded, her eyes returning to their previous brightness.

"I just can't believe I sunk back down twice in such a short period of time. I've worked so hard, but it fell apart so easily," Jess frowned.

"It's okay," Cece started. "Just because things fell apart now doesn't mean you should stop trying."

Jess sighed, and rested her head on Cece's shoulder.

"How did I ever get lucky enough to have a friend like you?" She muttered.

Cece laughed. "If anything, I'm the lucky one," She grinned. "I'm jus glad you were finally able to understand that it's okay to open up to me."

Jess chuckled. "Me too Cece, it feels so much better talking to you, I don't know why I thought I could ever get through this by myself."

Cece shrugged, and was about to continue when the door burst open. Nick walked in, his face somewhat red from embarrassment.

"Hey…Jess…" He trailed off. "I'm really sorry, but earlier when I told you I wanted to go on that walk with you, I didn't know what I was signing up for," He muttered. "I'd really really like to stay home."

Jess laughed, and Cece was overjoyed to see her getting back to her normal self for good this time.

"That's okay Nick," She smiled, and you could visibly see Nick relax from the statement.

"Besides, I was thinking a game of True American might be more fun."


End file.
